Chan Lowe: The Mormons and posthumous baptism

Cartoon by Chan Lowe, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Mormons and posthumous baptism

Mormons and posthumous baptism

Chan Lowe

First, I would like to give credit to my esteemed colleague, editorial writer Gary Stein, who planted the seed by posing the question, “I wonder what the Mormons would think if Jews performed posthumous circumcisions.” I couldn’t resist riffing on it. All I did was develop it into a cartoon.

When you think of all the atrocities that have been performed during the lifetimes of many of us because of hatred for those unlike us, it’s especially saddening to witness those that are committed due to an excess of well-meaning zeal. I’m not all that familiar with the Mormon faith, but to be charitable, I assume that by performing posthumous baptisms of people they don’t even know, they feel they’re doing them a favor.

One can be pretty sure that murdered journalist Daniel Pearl’s family, along with the families of many Holocaust victims, didn’t ask for their loved ones to be baptized into Jesus Christ, whether or not the baptisms were motivated by goodwill. For those who lost their lives, it amounts to a secondary holocaust of the soul. For the survivors, it’s a violation of a loved one’s emotional remains—spray-painted graffiti on the wall of memories.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, it’s hard to argue with those who believe they are doing God’s work. Maybe the only thing you can do in a situation like this is to maintain your sense of humor, as my friend Stein did.

Cartoonist's note: In case you are scratching your head over this cartoon, a moyel is the person who performs circumcisions in the Jewish ceremony known as a "bris."